Why do Vietnamese always have noodles with vegetables?

02.07.2019 86 Visits

One of the most significant cuisine cultures of Vietnamese is the presence of vegetables in every meal, especially noodles with vegetables. Normally, in every type of noodles, Vietnamese cannot eat without vegetables. If you have been in Vietnam or just see the picture of cuisine on the internet, you must always see a dish of vegetables put next to the bowl of noodles. If someone asks when this habit started, no one can answer. It is a part of the local culture that people grow up and know that noodles must be eaten with vegetables.

Noodles with vegetables is a familiar image of Vietnam to tourists around the world – Sharon Chen.

Why do they need vegetables as the main and must-have dish in the meal? Why does it always have noodles with vegetables? We are going to show you WHY?

Why do they always eat noodles with vegetables?

The traditional culture of an agriculture

Vietnam has gone with the agriculture for thousands of years – Source: Sendy Zebua.

There are so many reasons that Vietnamese eat noodles with vegetables. However, the most important reason is the local tradition. In the tropical area, the conditions are good for developing agriculture. Therefore, a tropical country like Vietnam is very strong in agriculture. Moreover, in the developing country, the citizen usually uses their own products instead of import from the developed countries. That is the reason why there are always vegetables in Vietnamese meals.

In a usual meal, there are always rice, fried dish and vegetable in the type of soup or steam. However, when you have noodles, it is only noodles with its soup which is made mostly by the broth. Therefore, they must use noodles with vegetables in some ways. Besides the vegetables which are steamed in the soup, they also have the fresh dish of vegetables. That is the reason why you always see pictures of Vietnamese noodles with vegetables on the internet.

Vegetables have accompanied with the local life – Source: @sahuseasalt.

Increase the tasty of noodles

Another reason Vietnamese have noodles with vegetables is the local taste. Not only in the noodles soup but also in every dishes, Vietnamese usually use fish sauce. To foreigners, it might create a strange smell for the dish. However, to the local, it helps to increase the taste. Therefore, to enjoy the Vietnamese cuisine, you must know the right way to taste. Noodles with vegetables in one of them.

Vegetables help to increase the taste of noodle soup – Source: @ken_dolphin9x.

The steam vegetables in noodles soup might be just the habit of local. Due to the reason that there must be vegetables in the meal. Furthermore, it helps the soup sweeter naturally. However, the fresh vegetables will have another benefit to the taste. It reduces the strong smell of fish sauce which is used in soup. Moreover, when having noodles, the local often add a little fish sauce directly to their bowl. Eating noodles with vegetables will help to reduce the smell of that fish sauce. Therefore, the noodles will be much tastier.

A set of Bun Cha Ha Noi – Source: @fernweh_schwabing.

Oriental medicine opinion

In oriental medicine, each kind of vegetables has its own impact on a certain health problem. There are so many medications which are made from vegetables. Consequently, the Vietnamese always have vegetables not only with noodles but also for every kind of meal. It is a way they protect themselves and improve their health to maintain the agriculture of a tropical country.

Vegetables if good for health – Source: @hawhaw7.

Additionally, as we know, vegetables have a high-fiber rate. And fiber has an important role in health. Each male need at least 38 grams of fiber a day. And that number for a female is 25 grams. Fiber postpones the movement of the bowel so that it makes more time for our body to absorb nutrition from food. Moreover, fiber also reduces the cholesterol level and blood pressure. They are just the most significant benefit of fiber to health. Therefore, the Vietnamese always respect the tradition of adding vegetables to every meal. Having a bowl of noodles with vegetables does not only provide nutrition but also help the bowel system work more efficiently.

Without vegetables, it is not Vietnamese noodles anymore – Source: Anh Nguyen.

Choose the right kinds of vegetables to eat with noodles

To have a tasty and safe meal of noodles with vegetables, you need to know what the Vietnamese put in a dish of vegetable when eating noodles. It is not all kinds of vegetables can be used together. In contrast, it can damage your health if you do not know how to combinate. There are some kinds that when eating them together, it can cause death. Therefore, the best way is just following the rules of local people when having their traditional foods.

Each kind of vegetable is used for different types of noodle – Source: Internet.

The first and foremost, it must have lettuce in a dish of vegetables when you have noodles. It is not only in noodles but also in other dishes that Vietnamese usually have it in the meal. Lettuce helps to lose weight, to reduce a headache and to have a better sleep.

Choose the right vegetables makes the noodles more delicious- Source: Vans Kitchen.

When you have noodles with vegetables, it cannot also miss the banana flowers and green bean sprouts. These ingredients make a naturally sweet taste. Furthermore, it reduces the strong smell of Vietnamese spices. The local people also add coriander and basil into the vegetable dish. Moreover, coriander and basil help to prevent the flu and decrease fever. One more important ingredient of a vegetable dish is the small mustard greens and fish mint. They are optional and depend on personal taste. These two reduce the fishy or meat smell of the noodles.

Different vegetables make different tastes of the noodles – Source: Internet.

Besides the mentioned vegetables, there are other kinds that are used in different types of noodles. Each one has its own action to our body, health as well as the taste of noodles.

Conclusion

In conclusion, having noodles with vegetables is not only a traditional culture of Vietnamese people but also help the local have a healthy diet. It shows clearly the agriculture of a tropical country which is in the developing period. Furthermore, it also is a lifestyle of using what they made instead of importing from other developed countries. In order to have a real experience like a local, you should try noodles with vegetables once.